Support and combination concealed storage unit



y 1969 H. SALKlND I 3,454,317

sUP 'cSRT AND COMBINATION CONCEALED STORAGE UNIT Filed March 31, 1967 7 Sheet of 2 INVENTOR. HARR Y SAL KIND ATTORNEY July 8, 1969 SUPPORT AND comsmmron CONCEALED STORAGE UNIT Filed March 51. 1967 H. SALKIND Sheet INVENTOR. HARRY 41.1w 0 BY A TQRFE.

mm y 1 i United States Patent US. Cl. 312-21 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cabinet comprising a spring biased platform for supporting a projector for movement from a storage position completely within the cabinet to an operating position at least partially outside of the cabinet. A pressureactuated latch is provided for holding the platform in its storage position so that the platform need merely be depressed slightly to eliect a raising of the platform to its operative position. Flat coil springs are used for supporting the platform and the weight of the platform and equipment is adjusted to provide a downwardly directed force which is approximately equal to the upwardly directed force exerted by the springs.

Specification This invention relates to a combination support and concealed storage unit, and more particularly to a cabinet or the like for a projector or similar equipment which cabinet comprises means for moving the projector to or from a storage position within the cabinet and from or to an operative position in which at least a portion of the projector is outside of the cabinet.

Combination work and storage units are well known as may be seen, for example, from United States Patents 2,037,479, 2,869,957 and 3,066,993. In such units, rather complicated procedures are required to move the stored equipment from its storage position to its operative position. In some units it is necessary that the operator use two hands and reach down into the cabinet to effect a release of the platform from its storage position. Further, the known units are usually quite involved and expensive requiring complicated manufacturing techniques. The disadvantage of being difficult to operate is particularly emphasized in the case of a Woman teacher when dealing with such equipment for mounting an overhead or opaque projector for classroom use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combination support and concealed storage unit which overcomes the aforesaid deficiencies encountered when using the prior art units. It is therefore a principal ob ect of this invention to provide a combination work and storage unit which is of simple construction and can be easily operated.

*It is another object of this invention to provide a combination support and storage unit with a pressure-actuated latch for holding the platform in its storage position. The expression pressure-actuated is used herein in the sense that the latch can be latched or opened by the application of pressure thereto. Preferably, such a latch can be operated by applying pressure in the same sense or direction for effecting either a latching or opening thereof.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a combination support and concealed storage unit with a floating table for supporting equipment for movement from a storage position to an operative position. The expression floating table used herein is intended to describe a table or platform which is biased by the use of springs or similar means to move upwards and the force of the biasing means is balanced by the weight of the equip- Patented July 8, 1969 ment mounted on the table and, if necessary, by counterweights, so that little pressure is required to effect a lifting or lowering of the platform.

The invention generally resides in a combination support and concealed storage unit which comprises a spring biased platform for supporting equipment and a pressureactuated latch for holding the platform in its storage position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of the invention and the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational cross-section partially broken away view of the cabinet of FIGURE 1 in which the platform is in its raised or operative position;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the cabinet of FIGURE 1 with the covers open and the platform in its raised position;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational cross-sectional view of the cabinet of FIGURE 1 in which the platform is in its storage position;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view with some parts removed for clarity of a modification of the embodiment of FIGURES 1-4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the platform of FIGURE 5 and,

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the platform of FIGURE 5.

Though the invention is described herein with reference to a cabinet for an opaque projector, it may take many forms and may be used to accommodate various types of equipment since basically it resides in the provision of a spring biased platform and a pressure-actuated latch for holding the platform in its storage position. Generally, the equipment used would be of the type which is subject to temporary use, such as a sewing machine, movie projector, overhead projector, opaque projector, copying machine, etc.

Referring to FIGURES 1-4 of the drawings, the cabinet 1 is mounted on rollers 4 for mobility. The cabinet covers 2 and 3 when closed provide a closed storage unit. When opened, the covers lie in a plane which is approximately parallel with the top of the cabinet to provide a working surface on both sides of the platform 8. This is accomplished by the use of sliding links 17 and 18. Devices similar to the links can of course be employed for holding the covers in the open position or the covers can be mounted for movement to positions other than the illustrated positions.

A hook 5 is mounted on the underside of the platform 8 in a position generally centrally thereof and cooperates with a latch 6 mounted generally centrally of the bottom 7 of the cabinet by a bracket 37. The latch assembly 5, 6 may be of the type described in United States Patent No. 2,637,576.

For the sake of illustration, an opaque projector 10 is shown in phantom in FIGURES 2 and 4. The projector comprises a handle 9. The projector is shown in its operative position in FIGURE 2 and in its storage position in FIGURE 4. The doors 2 and 3 would normally be closed when the projector 10 is in its storage position though they are shown as open in FIGURE 4.

Flat coil springs 11, 12, 13 and 14 are each attached at one end by a bolt 27, 28, 29 and 30, respectively, to a side wall of the cabinet and at their other ends to a rod 21 or 22 of the platform 8. The rods 21 and 22 are supported in U-shaped brackets 23 which are fastened to the platform by any suitable fastening means such as bolts (not shown).

Since the ends of the springs are bolted to the tops of the side walls, they tend to bring the platform to a rest position in which the platform lies in a plane which is approximately flush with the top of the cabinet. Sliding bolts 20 and 24 cooperate with receptacles 19 and 25, respectively, to hold the platform in its raised or operative position. Additional latching assemblies may be provided or different types of means for holding the platform in its raised position employed depending on the desired stability of the platform and the type of equinment mounted thereon. Also, means could be provided for actuating all of the latches by the opeartion of a single lever.

Bearings 36 are attached to the platform 8 and slide along guides and 16 to guide the table in a predetermined path between its raised and lower positions. Guiding means other than the guides 15, 16 could of course be employed or may be omitted. Further, handles 35 are provided to facilitate handling of the unit.

Referring now to FIGURES 57 in which a modification of the embodiment of FIGURES 14 is shown and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts. The platform 8' comprises a recess 32 in which a receptacle 33 for storing weights is disposed. The receptacle 33 has a cover 34 which is flush with the top of the platform when in its closed position. The cabinet 1' is preferably provided with springs which exert a greater upward force than the downward force exerted by the weight of the equipment and platform. Weights can be added to the platform by placing them in the receptacle 33 to increase the downward force until it is only slightly less than or approximately equal to the force exerted by the springs. It is preferable that the upward force slightly exceed the downward force so that the platform when released from its storage position will rise slowly to its operative position.

A storage drawer 31 is provided for storing additional weights. There is ample room for the weights on the bottom of the cabinet 1 as there is a separation of five or six inches between the bottom of the platform and the bottom of the cabinet due to the height of the latch 6'. The distance between the bottom of the platform and the bottom of the cabinet can be varied depending on whether the latch is mounted on the floor or on a wall of the cabinet and on the height of the latch. Of course, the positions of the hook and latch could be reversed.

The present invention may be incorporated in units where the movement is other than up and down. Also, the opeartive and storage positions may in some units comprise the lower and upper positions, respectively, the equipment being raised into a storage unit and brought down out of the storage unit to its operative position. Further, a retractable cord may be provided for connecting the equipment to a source of electricity. Still further, the present unit may be incorporated in a larger unit having means for storing auxiliary equipment and working materials. Such auxiliary equipment may comprise a copier for an overhead projector, a file for storing transparencies, and a drawer for storing crayons and the like.

Operation To move the platform 8 or 8 from its operative position (FIGURES 2 and 3) to its storage position (FIG- URES 4 and 5), one need only release the bolts and 24 and apply a slight downward pressure to the handle 9 of the projector 10 until the pressure-actuated latch 6 or latches 6, as the case may be, engage and hold the platform in its storage position. The doors 2, 3 may then be closed to provide a concealed storage for the projector. The operator need not reach into the cabinet 4 beyond the height of the handle 9 which preferably should be only 2 or 3 inches below the top of the cabinet when the platform is in its storage position. For handling different height units, the height of the latches could be made adjustable.

To move the platform from its storage position to its operative position, one need only press lightly down on the projector handle to depress the platform and release the pressure-actuated latch. Then, with little effort, the opeartor can pull the projector and platform up to the operative position by means of handle 9. Preferably, the platform is biased slightly by the springs so that the effort of the opeartor normally is that of slightly restraining the projector from moving upwards too quickly.

The terms and expressions which have been employed hereinbefore and in the appended claims are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalence of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination support and storage unit for equipment, comprising a cabinet having end walls, side walls, a bottom, and a cover for sealing the top of the cabinet, a platform disposed within said cabinet for mounting equipment thereon, biasing means attached to the cabinet and cooperating with the platform to urge the platform to move toward an opeartive position in which the equipment may be utilized, said biasing means including at least two fiat coil springs, fasteners which fasten one end of each spring to the upper portion of one of said side walls and end walls, rod-like members attached to the bottom of said platform, and means attaching the other ends of said springs to said rod-like members, and pressure-actuated latch means for holding the platform in a storage position removed from said operative position.

2. A unit according to claim 1, wherein the pressureactuating latch means comprises at least one latch mounted on the bottom of the cabinet and a cooperating hook mounted on the underside of the platform.

3. A unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operative position above the storage position and the platform comprises means for receiving weights so that it can accommodate equipment within a desired weight range while maintaining an approximate balance between the downward force produced by the combined weight of the equipment and platform and the upward force produced by the springs, and the platform further comprises latches for locking the platform in its opeartive position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 744,613 11/1903 Riemold 3123 12 998,208 7/1911 Scrote 312312 2,323,107 6/1943 Wilson 3123l2 XR 2,445,394 7/ 1948 Giralt 3123 12 XR 2,637,576 5/1953 Nottingham 292-99 2,812,227 11/1957 Hill 312-306 XR BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

I. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 3 123 12 

